Kelly fire data from Noir Lake, Yukon Flats, Alaska - IMPD USNRL008 Kelly, R.F.; Chipman, M.L.; Higuera, P.E.; Stefanova, I.; Brubaker, L.B.; Hu, F.S. Kelly, R.F. Chipman, M.L. Higuera, P.E. Stefanova, I. Brubaker, L.B. Hu, F.S. Arctic Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) earth science/paleoclimate/fire history|paleolimnology (depth at sample start,null,null,centimeter,null,fire history|paleolimnology,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/fire history|paleolimnology (depth at sample end,null,null,centimeter,null,fire history|paleolimnology,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/fire history|paleolimnology (magnetic susceptibility,sediment,null,dimensionless (CGS system),null,fire history|paleolimnology,null,null,N,1e-6 unitless CGS) earth science/paleoclimate/fire history|paleolimnology (charcoal,sediment,null,count,null,fire history|paleolimnology,null,null,N,> 180 um) earth science/paleoclimate/fire history|paleolimnology (age at sample end,null,null,calendar year before present,null,fire history|paleolimnology,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/fire history|paleolimnology (age at sample start,null,null,calendar year before present,null,fire history|paleolimnology,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/fire history|paleolimnology (volume,wet sediment,null,milliliter,null,fire history|paleolimnology,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/fire history (Noir Lake>LATITUDE 66.00261>LONGITUDE -145.92613) Wildfire activity in boreal forests is anticipated to increase dramatically, with far-reaching ecological and socioeconomic consequences. Paleorecords are indispensible for elucidating boreal fire regime dynamics under changing climate, because fire return intervals and successional cycles in these ecosystems occur over decadal to centennial timescales. We present charcoal records from 14 lakes in the Yukon Flats of interior Alaska, one of the most flammable ecoregions of the boreal forest biome, to infer causes and consequences of fire regime change over the past 10,000 y. Strong correspondence between charcoal-inferred and observational fire records shows the fidelity of sedimentary charcoal records as archives of past fire regimes. Fire frequency and area burned increased ~6,000–3,000 y ago, probably as a result of elevated landscape flammability associated with increased Picea mariana in the regional vegetation. During the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA; ~1,000–500 cal B.P.), the period most similar to recent decades, warm and dry climatic conditions resulted in peak biomass burning, but severe fires favored less-flammable deciduous vegetation, such that fire frequency remained relatively stationary. These results suggest that boreal forests can sustain high severity fire regimes for centuries under warm and dry conditions, with vegetation feedbacks modulating climate–fire linkages. The apparent limit to MCA burning has been surpassed by the regional fire regime of recent decades, which is characterized by exceptionally high fire frequency and biomass burning. This extreme combination suggests a transition to a unique regime of unprecedented fire activity. However, vegetation dynamics similar to feedbacks that occurred during the MCA may stabilize the fire regime, despite additional warming. STUDY NOTES: Chronology and macroscopic charcoal counts (number of pieces >180 microns) from Noir Lake sediments Yukon Flats, Alaska; Entity name, NR08 (Internal lab code); Contact person, Kelly R.; Sampling date, 2008-07-20; Sampling device, All cores were taken with a combination of 7.5 cm livingstone, 5 cm livingstone, and 7.5 cm polycarbonate tube; Water depth(cm), 1530; Sample storage, All cores have archive halves intact, and working halves sliced at 0.25-cm resolution. These are kept at 4°C in the Hu Lab, University of Illinois, Urbana.; Analysis method, Macroscopic charcoal counts. Please see Kelly et al. 2013 for details; Location Description, Yukon Flats Alaska; NCDC-Paleoclimatology https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/data-access/paleoclimatology-data - Bauer Bruce Investigator : Kelly, R.F. Investigator : Chipman, M.L. Investigator : Higuera, P.E. Investigator : Stefanova, I. Investigator : Brubaker, L.B. Investigator : Hu, F.S. 2013-07-06 ONLINE Files online, ASCII https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/15555 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/firehistory/charcoal/northamerica/kelly-et-al-2013-for-noaa.xlsx https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/firehistory/charcoal/northamerica/usnrl008-kelly2013.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/firehistory/charcoal/northamerica/usnrl008.mag https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/firehistory/charcoal/northamerica/usnrl008-kelly2013-mag.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/firehistory/charcoal/northamerica/usnrl008.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/firehistory/charcoal/northamerica/kelly-et-al-2013-for-noaa.xlsx https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/firehistory/charcoal/northamerica/usnrl008-kelly2013.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/firehistory/charcoal/northamerica/usnrl008.mag https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/firehistory/charcoal/northamerica/usnrl008-kelly2013-mag.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/firehistory/charcoal/northamerica/usnrl008.txt English https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/15555 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/firehistory/charcoal/northamerica/kelly-et-al-2013-for-noaa.xlsx https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/firehistory/charcoal/northamerica/usnrl008-kelly2013.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/firehistory/charcoal/northamerica/usnrl008.mag https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/firehistory/charcoal/northamerica/usnrl008-kelly2013-mag.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/firehistory/charcoal/northamerica/usnrl008.txt Ryan Kelly, Melissa L. Chipman, Philip E. Higuera, Ivanka Stefanova, Linda B. Brubaker, and Feng Sheng Hua 2013Recent burning of boreal forests exceeds fire regime limits of the past 10,000 yearsProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences3211013055–13060www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1305069110 START YEAR: 1121 cal yr BP * END YEAR: -58 cal yr BP -145.92613 66.00261 -145.92613 66.00261